CI Reference User Guide V2015 - 09-14

Descartes Customs InfoTM Reference
User Guide
contentsupport@descartes.com
877-583-4949 ext. 0
www.customsinfo.com
www.descartes.com
VERSION Management
The Descartes Systems Group Inc. | TSX: DSG | NASDAQ: DSGX | 120 Randall Drive, Waterloo, Ontario, N2V 1C6, Canada
Toll Free 800.419.8495 | Int‘l 519.746.8110 | info@descartes.com | www.descartes.com
Descartes Customs InfoTM Reference USER GUIDE
Version Date Author Remarks

V2014_08-1 8-1-15 Torrie Hansen Document Creation
V2015_09-10 9-10-15 Torrie Hansen Document Updated
V2015_09-14 9-14-15 Torrie Hansen Document Updated
Toll Free 800.419.8495 | Int‘l 519.746.8110 | info@descartes.com | www.descartes.com 2
Table of Contents
Functionality Overview ............................................................................................................................. 5
Subscription Levels ............................................................................................................................... 6
Home Tab ................................................................................................................................................ 7
CI Search Tab ........................................................................................................................................... 8
North America Tab ................................................................................................................................. 8
Europe Tab ........................................................................................................................................... 9
Trade Agreements Tab .......................................................................................................................... 10
Navigating in CI Search ......................................................................................................................... 11
Tariff Layout ...................................................................................................................................... 15
Related Rulings ................................................................................................................................. 19
Notes ................................................................................................................................................. 20
Project Folders ..................................................................................................................................... 22
CI Alerts ............................................................................................................................................. 25
Key Word Searches ............................................................................................................................... 27
Help Link ........................................................................................................................................... 29
Save Search Feature ........................................................................................................................... 30
Advanced Search ................................................................................................................................ 32
Viewing Search Results ......................................................................................................................... 33
Preferences ......................................................................................................................................... 37
Administrator Functions ........................................................................................................................... 39
Research Tools Tab ................................................................................................................................. 41
Denied Party Lookup Tool ...................................................................................................................... 42
HTS Mapper Tool .................................................................................................................................. 44
OGA Lookup Tool .................................................................................................................................. 45
OGA Code Information ......................................................................................................................... 46
HTS ADD/CVD Code Lookup ................................................................................................................... 47
ADD/CVD Code Information ................................................................................................................. 49
Search Sites Tools ............................................................................................................................... 50
Premier Subscription Tools ......................................................................................................................... 51
Global Tariffs International Mapping Tool (GTIM) ....................................................................................... 51
GistNet ................................................................................................................................................... 57
Trade Tools ............................................................................................................................................. 63
Currencies of the World ......................................................................................................................... 63
Trade Terms In 8 Languages .................................................................................................................. 64
Incoterms ........................................................................................................................................... 65
Country Business Guides ...................................................................................................................... 66
ECCN Finder ........................................................................................................................................... 66
Dual Use Tab ...................................................................................................................................... 70
Descartes Customs InfoTM Manager ........................................................................................................... 70
Appendix A – CI Reference Mobile App ...................................................................................................... 71
Getting Started .................................................................................................................................... 73
After Setup…........................................................................................................................................ 75
Items ................................................................................................................................................. 76
CI Global Tariff ..................................................................................................................................... 77
CI Rulings ........................................................................................................................................... 78
Settings .............................................................................................................................................. 79
How to Classify an Item......................................................................................................................... 80

Viewing and Assigning Tariff Number ....................................................................................................... 80
Viewing and Assigning Rulings ................................................................................................................ 83
Rulings with HTS # ............................................................................................................................... 83
Reviewing Items ................................................................................................................................... 85
Exporting an Item................................................................................................................................. 87
Functionality Overview
Customs InfoTM Reference is a comprehensive, online, international trade research application,

designed to provide trade professionals, attorneys, consultants, and students with a single
source for reliable and up-to-date trade content.
Each CI Reference subscriber is assigned a unique user ID and password, which correlates
with the functionality and modules they can access. The subscriptions are annual and
discounts are typically provided for multiple users. You can sign up for a free trial using the
icon in the upper left corner of the home page (www.customsinfo.com).
To log in to CI Reference, enter in the User ID and Password in the fields shown below, which
are located at the top of the screen on the Customs Info home page, as shown below:
New users will receive an email with their assigned User ID (the user’s email address) and a
temporary password. Upon logging in for the first time, the temporary password can then be reset
under the Preferences link, located in the upper, right hand corner of the home screen (see
below).
Subscription Levels
There are two subscription levels for CI Reference – Standard and Premium. CI Standard includes
the four tabs in gray, or the first four tabs on the left hand side: Home, CI Search, and Research
Tools. All of the content on each of the gray tabs are included in the Standard subscription, with
the following exceptions found on the CI Search Tab: the Canadian module and archives, the
Mexican module and archives, the International Export Controls module, and the U.S. Federal
Register Archives.
The Premium subscription includes all the main tabs in CI Reference in gray, as well as the red
tabs (GTIM, Gistnet, Trade Tools, ECCN) and the Canadian, Mexican and International Export
Controls modules just mentioned. Any of the modules or tools that make up the Premium
subscription can also be added on to a Standard subscription a la carte, allowing the site to be fully
customizable to the client’s needs. The last red tab, CI Manager, is just an informational tab
regarding one of our other services, which is a cloud-based classification management tool and not
part of the CI Reference site.
Home Tab
The main launch point for CI Reference is the Home tab, which includes the News and Events
tab, featuring Recently Viewed items, Saved Searches, Industry News and Upcoming Events.
Recently Viewed items list is a viewing history that contains the last seven documents that
have been viewed from the CI Search area. Selecting the Details link next to a document, will
open that document. Industry News and Upcoming Events will feature relevant news and
information, as applicable, and Saved Searches will be discussed later in this guide. The CI
Alerts and Projects tabs are also located on the Home tab, and will be described further on in
this guide as well.
CI Search Tab
The CI Search tab houses the main CI Reference content library, where documents can be
accessed manually or via keyword search. Below the “Keywords” search box, there are three
sub-tabs housing the different groups of content, or modules, which can be accessed under CI
Search – the North America, Europe and Trade Agreements tabs. Following are screenshots
and descriptions of the information contained in each of these sections.
North America Tab
The North America tab contains the United States Module, housing an extensive collection of
document groups, including: U.S. Binding Rulings, U.S. HTS, WCO Explanatory Notes, CBP
Decisions and Bulletins, Schedule B Export Tables, U.S. Export Commerce Control documents,
ADD/CVD Notices and Scope Decisions, and many more.
The modules for Canada and Mexico are also stored on the North America tab, containing the
Harmonized Tariff Schedules for both countries, as well as other country related information. The
International Module is another area where the WCO Explanatory Notes are found, along with the
WCO Opinions Compendium and NAFTA documentation. The International Export Controls module
contains Export and Dual Codes for a number of countries. Archive modules are also found on the
North America tab, featuring the following document groups:
 U.S. HTS from 1996 forward

 U.S. Federal Registers from 1998 forward
 U.S. Treasury Decisions from 1967 to 2003
 WCO Explanatory Notes from 2012 forward
 U.S. Schedule B tables from 2011 forward
 Mexican HS from 2005 forward
 Canadian HS from 2000 forward
Europe Tab
The Europe tab houses the Tariffs for the European Union, Switzerland and Norway, as well as
other country related documents, such as EU Binding Tariff Information (EBTI) and EU Export and
Dual Use Codes, and Swiss Export Codes and Classification Decisions. Currently, there are archives
for the EU and Swiss Tariffs from 2011 forward.
Trade Agreements Tab
The Trade Agreements tab contains text-based copies of most of the global International
Free Trade Agreements currently in force. Trade Agreements are broken down into separate
modules by geographical region, such as the U.S., the EU, Asia, Eastern Europe, Canada,
Africa, Mexico and South America. If a Trade Agreement represents more than one of these
geographical regions, it will be housed in both applicable modules, for ease of locating.
Navigating in CI Search
Document groups in CI Search can be accessed manually by selecting the small book icon next to a
document group name to open that set of documents:
Once the book icon has been selected, the document group will be opened in a new screen, which
will display two sections: the Contents pane on the left and the Document pane on the right. The
contents pane displays the contents of the document group in the “tree” view, allowing the user to
expand and minimize the individual folders and sub-folders. The Document pane will display
whatever document has been selected to view from the Contents tree.
Upon opening a document group, the Document pane will display the Information page by default
(shown above). This page displays information about the document group, such as number of total
documents and the dates it was most recently updated. Please note, most document groups are
checked for updates on a weekly basis. The “Last” and “Recent Update” dates displayed reflect only
the dates when updates or changes to the document set occurred, not how recently they were
checked for updates.
The History tab within the document group screen shows a history queue of recently viewed
documents. If one of these recently viewed items is selected, it can be viewed in the Document
pane without having to exit out of the document group screen to locate and view the document
from its native location. See below:
A document group that has been manually opened can be exited in one of two ways, by selecting
the back button on the web browser, or by selecting the CI Search tab.
CI Reference is designed for optimal workflow and efficiency. Users can right-click on any of the
tabs, icons or links on the site and select to open them in a new tab or window in the internet
browser. With this functionality, a user is never forced to leave one document or document group
in order to refer to a different area of the site or open one of the other tools. When opening an
item in another tab or window, the system navigates to that area quickly and without requiring the
user ID or password to be entered again. The user may have as many windows or tabs of areas of
the site open in the web browser as they like, and can work in and move back and forth between
the different tabs without the system logging or timing out of the other open tabs. See the
examples below:
Items in CI Reference,
such as main menu tabs
or the book icons used to
open a document group,
can be opened in a new
tab or window in the web
browser, by right-clicking
to open the internet
options menu, as shown
on the right.
Built in efficiency is also featured in the ability to quickly and easily cross reference documents
within CI Search. When a document group is open and a document is displayed in the Document
tab, it is common to see blue hyperlinks integrated into the document when referencing a related
document. When a hyperlink is selected, a new tab displaying the referenced document is
opened in a second tab within the viewing window, allowing users to quickly jump between the
various information sources.
In the examples below, a tariff schedule features a link to a related HTS code (9902.85.05),
which has been selected and opened in the second tab. Users can then navigate between the
open tabs, as demonstrated below in Figure 1 and Figure 2:
Figure 1:
Select the blue hyperlink to open

in a new tab. See figure 2,
below.
Figure 2:
The hyperlinks next to the HTS code 8504.10.00 (below) represent the WCO Explanatory
Notes, the Mexican Tariff (MX), the Canadian Tariff (CAN), the Swiss Tariff (CH) and the EU
Tariff (EU), for the same HS code. Multiple tabs may be opened from these links in the viewing
window, allow the user to navigate back forth between the opened documents.
When a document group is opened, there will be function buttons on the upper right, such as
the ones in the example above, for “Note”, “Projects” and “Print”. These function buttons in a
document group are only programmed to apply to whatever document is currently displayed in
the Document tab. They will not function for any of the documents opened in related tabs within
the viewing window, even if you are viewing one of those documents. For example, the “Print”
button will only print out the document in the Document tab. If you wished to print a document
in another opened tab in the viewing window, you would need to open the document group it
resides in, in another tab in your web browser and find and select that document to display in
the Document tab, then print the document.
Tariff Layout
The Tariff schedules in CI Search for the country modules housed there all follow the same
basic table format, with a column for the HS code, and a column for the article description,
and columns for the units of quantity and duty rates.
The U.S. Tariff schedules have slightly more information than the other country tariffs. The
Heading/Subheading column features the HTS Code up to the 8-digit level, and the Stat
Suffix column displays the final 2 digits of the 10-digit HTS code.
In the middle of the U.S. Tariff schedules, columns have been added for Other Government
Agency (OGA) or Partner Government Agency (PGA) codes and Anti-Dumping and
Countervailing Duty (ADD/CVD) flags. If an item is subject to OGA or PGA codes, the code
or codes will be listed in that column next to the item description.
Hovering the mouse over an OGA/PGA

code will display a pop-up stating what
the code stands for.
If an item is subject to ADD or CVD duties upon import to the U.S., the ADD/CVD column
will indicate this by showing “ADD”, “CVD” or the word “Both” in that column next to the
item description. See below:
The Rates of Duty columns display

the General rate and any Special
(i.e. Preferential, FTA or MFN rates.
In the Special column, there will
often be codes representing Trade
Agreements that receive the rate
treatment listed in parenthesis next
to the rate, as shown to the right.
Hovering the mouse over one of
these codes will display a pop-up
listing the name of the Trade
Agreement the code stands for.
All products falling under the Lacey Act are noted

with a small green leaf that appears next to the
Tariff number in the Heading column, for quick
identification.
The other country tariff schedules (MX, CAN, EU, CH, and Norway) also follow the table
format. See examples of the Mexican and EU Tariff schedules, below:
In the EU and CH Tariffs, the

duty rates under the “Other
Rates” column are displayed
in a separate window which
is opened by selecting the
“view” link appearing in that
column. See image on right.
*If the window does not

open when the “view” link is
selected, there is probably a
pop-up blocker active in the
web browser preventing it
from opening. Disabling the
pop-up blocker for the
Customs Info site will
resolve the problem.
Additionally, the Mexican, EU and Swiss tariff schedules can be viewed in English as well as
their native languages.
To change languages, simply select the language indicator buttons that appear on the top,
right hand side of the tariff schedule. To view the Mexican HS in Spanish, select the “ES”
button. To change the language back to English, select the “EN” button.
In the EU and Swiss Harmonized schedules, you have the option of changing the language
to German (the “de” button) or French (the “fr” button).
Related Rulings
The U.S. and EU Tariff schedules also have an integrated feature linking in related Binding
Rulings (or EBTI for the EU) to individual HS codes. In the two examples below, the U.S.
Tariff displays an “RUL” with a blue, hyperlinked arrow next to it (Fig. 1), and the EU Tariff
displays an “EBTI” and an arrow (Fig. 2).
Fig. 1 Fig. 2
Selecting either of these hyperlinks next to an HS code will pull up related binding rulings for
that HS code. Rulings are returned if the HS code is found in the text of the Ruling. To
display the Rulings, the system will open another tab on the web browser in the U.S. Binding
rulings or EBTI document groups, and display the rulings in the Results tab. See below:
Notes
Every document in CI Search allows for an individual note field to be added to the
document. Users may add as many notes, or text to each field as needed and can edit and
change existing notes. To add a note to a document in CI Reference, select the “Note”
button at the top right of the Document display window. This is also how you would open an
existing Note on a document to view it. You must be viewing the document you wish to add
the note to in the Document tab before selecting the Note button to add or open the note
field. In the example below, the Note button has been selected, opening the Note pane. Text
can then be added to the Note field and saved by selecting the “Save” button in the lower
right corner.
After a Note has been added or edited,

a note indicator will appear next to the
document number that the note is
attached to in the Contents or Results
pane. The note indicator is a small,
green exclamation point. This will only
show at the time a note has been first
added or when any changes have been
made and saved.
The Projects Tab, found on the Home Main Menu tab, also contains searchable indexes for
document Notes. See below:
See links below for My Notes and

Company Notes.
The “My Notes” area contains all the Notes the user has created, organized according to the
document type. Selecting the “View Note” link will display the Note that is attached to that
document. New notes may be added into the Note field that is displayed by adding text and
selecting “Save”. See the My Notes area, displayed below:
In CI Reference, Notes are a collaborative feature. When a Note is added to a document, it

is automatically shared with any of the user’s colleagues under the same company/account
who also have their own CI Reference subscription.
The “Company Notes” area contains all Notes that have been added to documents by any
other CI Reference users from the same company. The layout for searching and viewing
Notes in this area is similar to the “My Notes” area, but a user can only view, but not add to,
Notes created by a co-worker. The User ID of the person who has added each note is
displayed on the left. See the Company Notes screen, shown below:
Project Folders
The Projects Tab is located on the Home Tab next to the CI Alerts Tab. This feature allows
the user to create Projects, or folders, that documents found in CI Search database may be
added into for grouping, viewing and sharing with colleagues. There are two sections in this
area: “My Projects”, which are Projects the user creates, and “Company Projects”, which are
any projects created by other users of the same company who also have a CI Reference
subscription. The Projects feature is collaborative, meaning that any project you create can
be viewed (but not changed or deleted) by any of your co-workers who also have a CI
Reference account. [Tip: If you hover the mouse over the name of a Project Folder under the
“Company Projects” section, a pop-up will display the user ID of the person who created that
folder].
To create a new Project, select the “Add Project” button. A dialog box will open, prompting
you to give your new Project a name. Once you have named your Project, hit “Ok” and
refresh the Projects Tab. The new Project will now appear in the “My Projects” list. To open a
Project, select the red “Open” link next to the Project. If you wish to delete an existing
Project, you may do so by selecting the delete button to the right of the Project.
To add a document to a Project folder, open the document you wish to add from within the
CI Search screen. In the upper, right hand corner, select the “Projects” button.
A dialog box will open displaying all the Projects you have created on the Projects Tab. Select
the Project that you wish to add the document to and hit “Ok”. The document will now
appear in the Project folder you selected when you open it from the Projects Tab.
Once you have added documents to a

Project Folder in CI Search, you will need
to navigate back to the Projects tab on the
Home tab to open your folder and view its
contents.
Select the open link next to the Project

Folder name to open the folder.
When you open a Project, you will see any documents you have added to that Project
displayed in a list. You can open a document from the list to view it by selecting the
Document number (Doc No). If a document has had notes added to it, you may view them
by selecting the red “Notes” button next to the document. The document notes will be
displayed in the “Item Notes” field on the right. You can also add additional notes to the
note field on the document by typing them in to the “Item Notes” field and hitting “Save”.
You can also add a new note to a document that does not already have a note field
attached, by this same process. The “Project Notes” field can be used to make general notes
about the project or all the documents together in the Project folder.
See the illustration below:
CI Alerts
The CI Alerts Tab is located on the Home Tab, next to the News and Events Tab. This feature
allows a user to sign up to follow a specific U.S. HTS code or U.S. Binding Ruling, and be
alerted by an email from Descartes Customs Info any time there is an update or change to
one of those items.
There are two areas under the CI Alerts Tab: HTS Alerts and Rulings Alerts. In this area, the
user can view any HTS codes or Rulings they have signed up to follow and delete items
(using the delete button to the right of the item) to remove themselves from the email alerts
for that item. See below:
To add an item to the HTS Alerts, open the tariff schedule from the CI Search screen for the
HTS code you wish to follow. You can open the tariff schedule from a manual search of the
US HTS, from the results of a keyword search, or by opening it from a link within another
document, such as a ruling.
In the “Stat Suffix” column of the tariff schedule, there is a small plus symbol above the last
two digits of each 10-digit HTS code. Click on the plus symbol to add that HTS code to the
HTS Alerts list for CI Alerts.
To add an item to follow to the Rulings Alerts, open the U.S. Ruling you want to follow, either
by manually searching for it in the Rulings documents, or opening it from a keyword search.
Once you are viewing the Ruling you wish to follow in the Document pane, you will see the
“Alert” button on the top, right hand side of the screen next to the “Note” button. Select the
“Alert” button to add that ruling to the Rulings Alerts list for CI Alerts.
Key Word Searches
Keyword searches can consist of an actual word or subject, an HS Code (or part thereof), a
Case Number, date, Ruling Number, ECCN, or any combination thereof. As keyword searches
are exact character matches, the system will return results for any documents containing
matches to whatever was entered in the keyword search field.
In the following screenshot of the North America Tab, the results of a keyword search are
displayed in multiple modules. The results (or number of hits) of a keyword search are
displayed in the column to the right of each topic within the section. In our example, the
keyword: “ball bearing*” was searched. The quotations and use of the * as a wildcard
indicate that we are looking for the two words together and want results that include the
words “ball bearing” next to each other, plus any additional letters, such as an “s” on the
word “bearing”.
When a keyword search is performed, the system searches all the content across all three
of the main tabs simultaneously, and then returns the number of hits found for each
document group. Selecting the highlighted number of search results next to a document
group will navigate directly into the document group, with a Results tab (next to the
Content pane) displaying the search results.
With CI Reference’s built in

efficiency, when keyword search
results are returned, another way
to view them is to right click on
the hyperlink displaying the
number of returned results,
instead of simply selecting it to
open into the document group.
This will display the internet

options menu and allow the user
to open the search results in a
new tab or window instead. This
allows the user to easily navigate
between search results screens
and the main CI Search screen,
and be able to easily open search
results from additional document
groups.
Help Link
Search tips and descriptions of the different Search Operators that can be used in creating key
word searches (such as the asterisks and quotation marks described above) can be found
under the “Help” link that appears at the top, right-hand side of the screen. See below:
Select the “Help” Link to open the

window below.
Save Search Feature
Once a keyword search has been performed and the search results are returned, the user can save
that keyword search as a saved search by selecting the “Save” button to the right of the search
bar. The system will confirm the keyword search has been saved, and will add it to the “Saved
Searches” list on the Home tab. Remember, the “Save” button must be selected after the keyword
search results have been returned.
To run a saved search again at a later time, click on the “Details” link next to the saved search
under the “Saved Searches” list. This will automatically move the user into the CI Search tab, re-
populate the search in the keyword search bar, and re-perform the search in real time and display
the search results. There is no limit to the number of saved searches a user may have.
The Saved Searches list can be found in

the lower section of the Home tab.
Selecting the Details link next to a saved

search will cause the CI Search to open,
and the saved search will be
automatically populated in the Search
bar, as shown below. The search will be
re-performed automatically by the
system.
Advanced Search
The Advanced Search tool is a tool that is available for searching U.S. Rulings and the U.S. HTS.
Selecting the magnifying glass icon next to the document group name opens the Advance Search
window. For U.S. Rulings, the user can perform a more narrowly tailored search on criteria such as
Rulings that revoke or modify other rulings, the published date of a Ruling, classification number,
category, and other criteria. For the U.S. HTS, users can use the Advance Search window to
search by weekly document batch or dates the document was added to CI Reference.
Advanced Search tool for U.S. Rulings
Advanced Search tool for U.S. HTS
Viewing Search Results
The search results of a keyword search will be displayed in the Results tab and the selected
document can be viewed in the Document pane. The Results tab will show 10 documents per
Results page and users can use the page number links at the bottom to navigate from one
page to the next.
The arrow buttons at the top of the Results tab

will allow the user to change the document that
is being viewed in the Document Pane in
consecutive order. The single arrows will
display either the previous or the following
document in the numbered list, and the double-
arrows will move to either the very first
document in the entire results set (spanning all
pages) or the very last document in the results
set.
When more than 10 documents are returned

in a keyword search, page numbers at the
bottom of the Results tab will allow the user
to navigate to each page, or the arrow button
on the right can be used to move from page
to page.
In the results below, the red circle with the checkmark indicates that the user has viewed
that particular document before. This will assist the user during future searches to quickly
recall if the document was important and how it may have been used.
When the search term appears in a document it will be highlighted, with the first occurrence of
the search term in a document highlighted in orange and all subsequent instances highlighted
in purple. The user can navigate through the document from highlight to highlight using the
arrow buttons at the top of the viewing window.
The Result Excerpts tab is an alternate way to view the documents returned in the Results
pane side by side, instead of document by document. For each document, it will list the
excerpts of text with the instances of the highlighted term, so the user can scan them
simultaneously and more quickly and efficiently analyze the instances of the search results in
the returned documents. See example below:
There are multiple ways to exit a

document group when viewing search
results. Selecting either the back
button on the web browser or the main
CI Search tab will return the user to
the CI Search screen. The search term
will still be populated in the search
field, but the results will no longer be
displayed, requiring the user to hit
“Search” to display the search results
again.
Alternately, if the document group is

exited by using the “Back” button on
the right hand side, the screen will go
back to CI Search, but the search
results from the keyword search will
still be displayed, as shown on the
right.
Preferences
The Preferences link, located on the top, right hand side of the screen allows the user to set
personal preferences for certain areas of the site:
Under the General Preferences tab, the user may reset their password or FR Alerts emails if
they are subscribed to them as part of their subscription. Also contained in this tab is the
Documents section, where a user can delete their viewing history (which would remove all
the red viewing checkmarks from any document in CI Search) or delete all Notes that have
been added to any documents in CI Search by the user. See below:
The Search Preferences and Application Preferences tabs allow the user to adjust language
settings and change search result display options, such as increasing the number of
documents displayed on the Results page.
The Results tab by

default displays 10
documents per
Results page, but the
user may change the
number of documents
displayed on the page
by inputting the
desired number in the
text box, shown on
the left.
Under Application Preferences, the user may change the default language of Customs Info
from English to German or French. This will change the language displayed in the tabs on
the main screens. Currently, these are the only two languages besides English that the text
on the main areas of the site may be displayed in.
If a document is available in one of the other languages listed above, and that language has
been selected as the preferred language, then the document will be displayed in that
language instead of English.
Administrator Functions
Account Administrator status is an optional function that has been added to CI Reference. This
function will allow a user on a client account to have Administrator privileges assigned to them.
These privileges will enable the user to make the following changes or additions to the CI
Reference user accounts for their company:
 Deactivate current users

 Reactivate inactive users to fill open user spots on the company account
 Add new users and grant basic access to fill open user spots on the company account
 Filter the user list to view all users or active users only
 Assign or remove Administrator status to another user
In order to initially have a user assigned with Administrator privileges, you must contact Descartes
Customs Info and request it. Once an Admin has been assigned, they can then manage the Admin
rights as listed above. Please note that deactivating a current user will open up a user spot on your
account which you may fill with a reactivated user or a new user. Administrators may set up users
with a CI Standard subscription (or basic access). To grant a user access to any Premier
subscription applications or other add on features, the Admin must still contact Descartes Customs
Info. You will also still need to contact us if you need additional user spots without deactivating
any current users on your account.
Once Admin rights have been granted, the Company Admin link can be accessed in the top, right
section of the screen, as shown below:
In the Company Admin screen, all users will be listed showing what modules they have access to.
The User list will default to All, but can be toggled to display only Active users. The Admin may
select “Add User” at the top of the screen to add a new user, or may click on a user name from the
list to deactivate the user or reset the password. See below:
Clicking on a user name opens into a new

screen (shown on left) where the Admin
may select “Edit” and then make changes,
such as deactivating the user or resetting
the password:
Clicking on the “Add User” link opens the

New User form (shown right) where the
Admin can set up a new user, who is
replacing a user that has been deactivated.
Research Tools Tab
The Research Tools tab is part of the basic subscription service and contains a variety of
interesting functionalities for trade professionals. The different tools and resources may be
selected from the link on the page for each item. There are also shortcut links across the top
for some of the more frequently used tools. A few of the key tools featured in Research Tools
are described below.
Denied Party Lookup Tool
The Denied Party Lookup tool is used for conducting a simple search on 10 required U.S.
Sanctioned Party lists. Searches can be performed for individuals, entities, or even vessels.
Compound searches, such as name and country, can be performed and the results printed or
saved as a .PDF file.
In the First and Last fields, an individual may be searched for by entering in the first and last
names in the appropriate fields. If only a last name is known, it is fine to leave the First field
blank and just enter it in the Last field. If an entity of some kind is being searched, the entity
name may be entered into either the First or Last field, either one is fine.
The Type field can be selected to show the default, “Any Type”, or “Individual” or “Other”. The
Country field can be left at the default of “Any Country” or a specific country may be selected.
The Source field shows all 10 of the U.S. Sanctioned Party lists being screened in the Lookup
Tool. This field defaults to screen all the lists, or the user may select just one of the lists. There
are also search fields for Address, City and Other, which may be used.
Once the search criteria have been entered and the Search button selected, a report will be
displayed in the right pane showing all hits that were found on the Sanctioned Party Lists. The
report is time and date stamped at the top for when the report was run, and the hits will all be
listed below showing the hit, the list it was found on and some additional details. The Print button
will be displayed in the left pane so the user can print the report, or print and save as a .pdf file.
HTS Mapper Tool
The HTS Mapper Tool allows users to enter pre-2011 HS codes and determine how the codes map
to the HS 2012 update. This application is extremely useful in converting HS codes found in pre-
2012 rulings or documents and correlating them with the current HS schedule. We call it “Ruling
Continuity”.
A search can be performed as either a forward search (entering in a 2011 code) or a backward
search (entering in a 2012 or current HS code) and selecting the corresponding button below (see
the green arrows). The search results will display as a report in the right hand pane, which can
then be printed out.
CI Reference offers both the 2007 and 2012 WCO change-over concordance tables. We have
country tables for the U.S. and Canada for 2007 and for the following countries for 2012:
This will be a critical tool for our clients as they address the “one-to-one” and “one-to-
many” changes for thousands of tariff codes.
OGA Lookup Tool
The OGA (Other Government Agency) Lookup Tool returns OGA flags related to a particular
ten digit U.S.HS Code, based upon ABI data. In the example below, you can see the HS tree
for the code and the associated OGA Flags. To use the tool, enter a 10-digit HS code in the
search box and hit “Search”. If there are any OGA flags associated with that HS code, they
will be displayed in the pane on the right.
OGA Code Information
The OGA Code Information tool (or OGA Info) is a list of OGA Codes and their meanings
which are also all links to downloadable spreadsheets. See below:
Each spreadsheet lists an OGA Code and all U.S. HTS Codes that are currently subject to the
OGA Code. These may be opened and viewed by the user as well as downloaded. These
spreadsheets are updated about once every two months, so users should be sure they are
referencing a current version if using a downloaded and saved copy. The last list, “Lacey Act”
displays all U.S. HTS Codes that are currently subject to requirements under the Lacy Act
(USC Title 16, Conservation).
HTS ADD/CVD Code Lookup
The HTS ADD/CVD Code Lookup tool allows the user to enter in a U.S. HTS code and search
for any related Anti-dumping or Countervailing Duty case information. An 8, 9 or 10 digit
HTS code may be entered in the search bar. It is recommended to start with a 10 digit code
and reduce the number of digits if no results are initially found. Decimals may be included
or excluded from the HTS code.
Once an HTS code has been entered and the “Search” button selected, a table will appear
below listing any related ADD or CVD Case numbers, as well as the two-digit ISO country
code the case numbers apply to.
Selecting the “Rates” link next to a Case number will open up a second table with additional
information for that country, including the manufacturers and exporters involved in the
order.
See below:
Once the related ADD or CVD case numbers have been returned for an HTS code, the Case
number can be entered in the Key Word Search bar on the CI Search Tab, to pull up all
matching ADD/CVD notices or related scope decisions from within the “ADD/CVD and Scope
Decisions” document group.
Note – It is important to remember to enter hyphens into the case number before
performing a search for an ADD/CVD case number. Case numbers will be displayed in the
Lookup Tool as shown below, with no hyphens (ex. A463504) but they always include
hyphens in the text of ADD/CVD Notices and Scope Decisions, in the following format: A-
463-504. If the case number is entered in the Key Word Search bar without the hyphens,
no results will be returned from the ADD/CVD documents for that notice number.
ADD/CVD Code Information
The ADD/CVD Code Information Tool, or ADD/CVD Info, is similar to OGA Info, but in this
case it is a downloadable spreadsheet featuring all U.S. HTS Codes that are currently
subject to any Anti-dumping or Countervailing Duties. The spreadsheet has two separate
tabs for ADD and CVD duties, and is updated at the beginning of each month.
Search Sites Tools
The research tools tab also includes a number of search utilities for various international
trade sites where you select the agency of interest, enter in a keyword search and get
results specific to the key words and site selected.
Select one of the red links below, such as “Search United States
Sites” to open into the Search Sites screen.
Premier Subscription Tools

The following tools are all included in the Customs Info Premier Subscription offering. Each of the
tools can also be added as a stand- alone addition to a CI Standard Subscription for an additional
cost.
Global Tariffs International Mapping Tool (GTIM)
The Global Tariffs tool provides the full Tariff and Duty and Tax information for approximately
150 countries and regions around the world. The results provide not only the general rate,
but any preferential rates that might exist between the country of origin and the country of
import. All taxes and fees that will be assessed will also be listed with the applicable
calculation method for each.
When a country is selected in the Destination dropdown list, the country’s HS Tariff will
populate in the Contents pane, as shown below. The tariff appears in a tree format with HS
Codes and descriptions and can be manually searched by expanding each level of the tariff to
full codes.
Users can also navigate directly to a specific tariff number by inputting either a 2, 4 or 6-digit
HS Code in the “Tariff No” field and hitting Search. Searches can also be done by text
descriptions in the “Tariff Text” field, though tariff numbers will return the most reliable
results. Search results will be displayed in the Results tab, shown below:
When viewing items in the Results

tab, the user can navigate back into
the Contents pane manually, or by
selecting the small blue icon next to
each HS code (See top right).
When this icon is selected next to

an HS Code, it will move the user
back to the Contents pane, into the
area of the tariff for that HS Code
(shown on bottom right).
To calculate the duties and taxes on an item being shipped to a specific country, select the
Destination country from the dropdown list and enter in the Tariff number for the item, as in
the example below. Hit “Search” and the item as it appears in the Destination country’s tariff
will be displayed in the “Results” tab.
In order to calculate duties and taxes, the full tariff number for the item is required. When
the dollar symbol appears next to an item, it indicates that is the full extent of the tariff
number for that particular item (see the blue arrow below).
Selecting the dollar symbol will open the Duties and Taxes tab and allow the user to enter in
the Country of Origin and Country Shipped From, as shown below. If the Country Shipped
From is different than the Country of Origin, the country selected in that field may be
changed accordingly.* Once those fields have been populated, select the “Calculate” button
to calculate the duties and taxes on the item for shipping to the Destination country.
*Changing the Country Shipped From will not affect the Duty Rate/Rates displayed, as duty is dependent on the country of
origin. It is possible it could affect certain taxes or fees that may apply.
The duties and taxes will be displayed as a report in the lower half of the screen. The General
Duty rate and/or optional FTA rates available will be displayed at the top of the report,
followed by any additional taxes that apply. See the example below:
If there is more than one available duty rate, all applicable rates will be listed (as shown above)
and the user can select the best available rate. Each tariff treatment will show the Tariff
Calculation, listed as the actual duty rate, in most cases a percentage rate. If the rate is free,
“Free” will listed in this field. The Calculation Base, CIF (Cost of Goods, Insurance & Freight) or FOB
(Free on Board) will also be listed.
The Taxes and Fees will then appear on the report, listed as Tax 1, Tax 2, and so on, though in
some cases these are actual taxes (i.e. VAT tax) and sometimes they are fees, such as Customs
fees or Warehouse fees. The Taxes and Fees show the Tax Name and Type, the Tax Calculation
(rate the tax or fee is assessed at) and Calculation Base (the criteria to assess the tax rate on). In
many cases, the Formula and Notes fields will also give formulas or instructions on how to calculate
the amount of the tax or fee.
The user will need to work through each duty, tax and fee on the report to calculate the cost of
each item and then combine them to arrive at the total landed cost for importing the item to the
country in question.
For convenience, the WCO Explanatory Notes have also been incorporated into the GTIM,
allowing the user to quickly and easily reference an HS Code in the Explanatory Notes.
Country Notes have also been added for some countries in GTIM. These are Tariff Section and
Chapter heading notes. They are not currently available for every country in GTIM.
GistNet
GistNet is an International Database that includes general country information for up to

250 countries, featuring trade related information such as: country codes, local times,
telephone codes, currencies, official and local languages, major air and ocean ports, major
trade agreements, Governmental trade information, traveler requirements (visas,
accompanied samples, etc...) and business customs.
A country may be selected from the list on the Country Guides main page, as shown
above, and it will open to display the detailed information for that country. There is a
separate link for each of the main categories of country information and each main
category is broken into sub-categories that can be viewed or hidden with the show all/hide
all menu on the right. See below:
In addition to General information, Business/trade and Transportation categories, GistNet also

contains two additional categories essential for the International Trade Professional: Information
on shipping to a specific country (the Import general and product-based categories) and shipping
from a specific country (Export general and product-based). Information in these sections may
include categories such as:
 Notes on recent customs regulation changes

 General import/export regulations and requirements
 Prohibited or highly restricted imports
 Import customs tariff specifics
 General import license/permit requirement,
 Foreign exchange controls and letters of credit
 Commercial invoice
 Packing list
 Transport documents
 Certificates of origin
 Official cargo insurance requirements
 Other general document requirements
 Wood packing materials
 Shipment packaging and marking requirements
 Etc.
See the example of the Import (general) section below:
On a Country page, the user

can also use the “Select an
Origin Country” or “Select a
Destination Country” links. This
will allow the user to view the
import/export requirements for
the selected country
combination in one screen.
On the right, “Select an Origin
Country” has been opened to
display a list of countries you
may be shipping to Argentina
from.
Canada is selected as the origin

country, which then opens the screen
shown below, with any specific
requirements and vital information
displayed for trade between Canada
and Argentina.
The Country Guides main screen also

houses the HTS Search beta tool,
seen on the right. This allows the
user to search for trade requirements
between two specific countries for a
specific 6-digit HS Code. Enter in the
search criteria as seen on the right,
and the system will return a single
page (shown below) with the related
information.
Gistnet also features other helpful areas, such as a topical contents area, a glossary and an
Exhibits section that houses documents, such as examples of shipping documentation and
reference guides. See a screen shot of Exhibits, below:
Trade Tools
Trade Tools is a reference application, similar to the information you might find in an International
Trade Encyclopedia. It features a Country Guides section and the Trade Tools section. Resources
available under Trade Tools include educational and instructional tools, such as the overviews on
different types of shipping (air, ocean, trucking, etc.), and guides on trade topics such as
Incoterms, the Basics of International Shipping and importing to and exporting from the United
States. There are also interactive tools available, such as Acronyms & Abbreviations (a tool that
will define trade-related acronyms for the user), Trade Terms In 8 Languages (a language
translator that will translate trade terms from one language to another) and Currencies of the
World. The Country Guides section features in-depth country guides for 100 countries.
The tools and resources in Trade Tools are very self-explanatory and easy to use. Below are a few
examples of some of the resources and how they are used.
Currencies of the World

The Currencies of the World tool allows the user to look up currencies for countries around the
world. A search can be done by a variety of options, including by country, currency name, ISO
Alpha Code and ISO Numeric Code, as shown below:
Once a search method has been selected, the user can enter the criteria or select from a drop-
down list, and select “GO”. The results will then be displayed, as shown:
Trade Terms In 8 Languages
The Trade Terms Translator allows the user to translate trade terms from English, French, German,
Italian, Portuguese or Spanish to any those languages as well as Japanese or Chinese. As shown
below, the user selects the language to translate from and to, and then enters the trade term in
the keyword field and hits “Go”. A trade term may also be selected from the keyword dropdown
box. The translated word will appear under the SEARCH RESULTS heading, showing many varieties
of writing the term in the other language. Most of the languages also will include an audio link next
to each translated term, so the user can hear the pronunciation.
Incoterms
The guide to Incoterms not only provides an in-depth resource on the history and usage of
Incoterms, but also gives a detailed explanation of each Incoterm, along with an illustration of how
the Incoterm performs in a contract between a Seller and Buyer:
Country Business Guides

The Trade Tools tab now features a section, displayed on the left hand side of the main page,
called the Country Business Guides. This section contains detailed country guides for 100 countries.
When a country is selected, it opens to display many subcategories of information about that
country with emphasis on Trade related information. The Import and Export sections in particular,
provide much valuable trade related details, as seen below:
The Country Business Guides provide a good secondary reference to Gistnet for cross-checking
information.
ECCN Finder
The ECCN Finder is an application that provides 12 months of U.S. export information,
gathered from U.S. Census biannually, which allows trade professionals to view historical
information on what all exporters have filed for ECCN, based upon the Schedule B number.
The ECCN Finder does not provide the exact ECCN to utilize, but is a very good directional
indicator of what Census has accepted, based upon the total number of exports and the
percentage of each ECCN submitted.
The user can enter a Schedule B number of an item in the Search field. The results that are
returned will display the Total number of exports for that Schedule B number that occurred in
the twelve month period, and a breakdown of each ECCN that was used in how many
instances, displayed as a Count and a Percentage, as in the example below.
Users can click on the hyperlinked ECCN, such as 5A002, to view the actual Commerce Control text
and copy and paste, as needed, to store the information related to their decision making process.
See below:
Users can also input a particular ECCN and see which Schedule B numbers have been
associated with a particular Control Number. In this scenario, the Total represents the
number of different Schedule B numbers that were exported using the ECCN that was
entered, and the Count and Percent figures indicate the total number of times that ECCN
was assigned to each corresponding Schedule B.
Once search results have been

displayed from a Schedule B or
ECCN search, the results can be
either printed or email. On the
left, selecting the Print button will
allow the user to print the search
results.
An email address can be typed

into the email field (shown, left)
and the Email button clicked, to
forward the search results to the
address that was entered.
Selecting the link for the Schedule B number (see blue arrow in the previous illustration) will
display a detailed breakdown of exports for that ECCN/Schedule B combination by country,
displaying the Total count of exports of the item to each country and count/ratio for how
often the ECCN was used.
Dual Use Tab
The Dual Use tab in the ECCN finder is a tool designed to assist in researching EU Dual Use
Codes. It does not present the same kind of detailed statistics as the ECCN Finder has for
ECCN Codes – instead, it is a simple correlation tool that displays related Dual Use Codes and
EU Export Codes. Users may enter in either a Dual Use Code or an Export Code in the Search
bar and the system will return any corresponding Dual Use or Export Codes, if any.
Descartes Customs InfoTM Manager
The last tab on the CI Reference site is not another tool or resource, but an information page about
our item classification management tool, Descartes Customs InfoTM Manager. CI Manager is an
innovative, cloud-based tool that increases workflow, efficiency and visibility within an
organization’s classification process and centralizes these functions for both small companies and
corporations with global divisions and multiple business units. CI Manager is typically used in
conjunction with CI Reference. For more information or a demo on CI Manager, please contact your
Descartes Customs Info Account Representative or go online to www.customsinfo.com.
Appendix A – CI Reference Mobile App
CI Mobile is a mobile classification app available for iOS and Android, built to complement CI
Reference. CI Mobile enables you to:
 Build item Lists

 Classify products on the fly
 Photograph products
 Record descriptions and notes
 Search and assign US Rulings
 View HS Codes, duties and taxes for 152 countries
 And much, much more.
CI Mobile can be found in iOS and Android app stores for download to mobile devices. Below is
a user guide for CI Mobile.
CI Reference
Mobile App
Overview &Tutorial
Getting Started
If you already have an existing

customsinfo.com account, please tap
“Validate existing user” and follow the
prompts.
Otherwise follow these steps to create

a new CI Mobile user account:
Step 1: Tap the “Create CI Mobile

user “ button
Step 2: Tap the Username text field and

enter a valid email address.
Step 3&4: Tap the Password field and

enter a desired password and repeat in
the Re-Enter Password field.
Step 5: Tap the Create button.
Step 6: Login to the email you provided above and locate the CUSTOMS
Info mobile Registration Email.
Step 7: Follow the directions in the email by clicking the link.

This will lead you to the page below. You may now start using CUSTOMS Info
on your mobile device.
After Setup…
By Default, every time you

start up CI Mobile app you
will be brought to “Items”
screen.
This is where you can add

and save items you wish
to classify.
The bottom bar highlights what screen you are on in the app.
Tapping the buttons on the bar allows you navigate through the app.
Items
In the Items screen, you can add and save items you wish to classify
Tap the Filter

Button to filter
the items you
have classified.
Tap the ”+” to Tap the Search Button to
add items to search for an item.
classify
This is the item

field, where you can
scroll and select an
item to review.
CI Global Tariff
In the CI Global Tariffs screen, you will be able to look

up the duties and taxes for up to 152 countries.
If you want to search by a

Tariff number, type it in
[Tariff No.#] field.
If you want to find Tariff by

text, type your search
Tap here to select what words in [Tariff Text] field
country you wish find a
tariff in.
Results will be displayed

here, where you can scroll
through, and tap to display
detailed information about
the Tariff.
CI Rulings
Tap here to enter

Results will be text to search for
displayed here, rulings.
where you can scroll
through, and tap to
display detailed
information about
the Rulings.
Settings
In the Settings screen, you

will be able to change your
User information, and
Update to the latest
Country List available.
Think we have a great app?

We do too. Tap the eMail
button to share our app with
your colleagues.
How to Classify an Item
After tapping the “+” button

in the Item screen, it will
bring you to this General Info
screen.
In here is where you will tap

and fill out the desired field
to classify an item.
After filling out this screen,

you may continue to fill in
more details of the item by
swiping your screen. This will
bring up a screen to put in
Description and Pictures.
Note:
Tapping the Globe will bring up countries you can select

from.
Tapping the Books will bring up the CI Global Tariff, from

which you will be able to select an HTS number.
Viewing and Assigning Tariff Number
Tapping the X will bring up US-Rulings which you will be
able to search and select.
Figure 1 Figure 2
As mentioned before, tapping the Globe Button will brings up Figure 1, where
you can use the Slide bar above the Select and Cancel Button or your device’s
touch screen abilities to go through and Select a country.
Also mentioned before, tapping the Books, will bring you to Figure 2 screen,
where you search and select Tariff numbers.
Tapping this button brings up Figure 1 to select a country for

destination.
Tapping this button brings up details on duties and taxes

shown on the next page.
By swiping through the

screens, you are able to
view information about Tapping
Summary, Duties and this button
Taxes. allows you
to select
Also note, you must
countries,
have a Destination
like in
country and a Country of
Figure 1,
Origin selected to view
above.
the rates.
Viewing and Assigning Rulings
As mentioned before, by tapping the symbol, it allows you

to type and search for U.S. rulings (shown above left).
Rulings with HTS #

Tapping the button allows you to read through the ruling.
HTS #
When classifying an item and searching for a ruling, you may

come across an HTS #. The HTS # will be highlighted in blue in
the upper left hand corner of the screen. Tap the HTS# to bring
up the screen that resembles the screen shot on the right. Here
you see you have 3 options. Tap “Copy to Clipboard” to copy the
HTS # to your device’s clipboard. Tap “Use in Item” to copy the
HTS # to the current item you are classifying. Tapping “GT
Look-Up” brings you to the CI Global Tariff to find out more
information on the HTS #.
In the Description screen, you

will be able to do the following:
 Tap the Description text Tapping this

field and write a detailed button allows you to take
description. a picture with your
device’s camera or assign
 Tap the “record” button
to record with your a picture from your
device’s mic a detailed device’s memory.
description that you will
able to name and save.
Note - after you are done editing the item you wish to classify, press
Reviewing Items
After adding
items in the
Item screen,
you are able to
scroll through
it and tap
items for more
details. By
swiping you
through the
screens, you
are able to
review the
information
you have
added.
You are able to
edit the item,
by tapping the
button.
Tapping the
button
brings you
back to the
Item screen.
Exporting an Item
To e-mail an item, select it in the Item screen, tap the item

for details, and swipe over to the Import/Export screen.
Be sure to tap what you

want to include in the
email.
Then tap the eMail

button to continue to
your device’s email
application.
Questions? Contact us at: contentsupport@descartes.com.

Or by phone at: 877-583-4949 ext. 0
www.customsinfo.com
www.descartes.com

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Version Date Author Remarks

How to Classify an Item......................................................................................................................... 80

Customs InfoTM Reference is a comprehensive, online, international trade research application,

North America Tab

 U.S. HTS from 1996 forward

Trade Agreements Tab

Select the blue hyperlink to open

Hovering the mouse over an OGA/PGA

The Rates of Duty columns display

All products falling under the Lacey Act are noted

In the EU and CH Tariffs, the

*If the window does not

After a Note has been added or edited,

See links below for My Notes and

In CI Reference, Notes are a collaborative feature. When a Note is added to a document, it

Once you have added documents to a

Select the open link next to the Project

See the illustration below:

Key Word Searches

With CI Reference’s built in

This will display the internet

Select the “Help” Link to open the

Save Search Feature

The Saved Searches list can be found in

Selecting the Details link next to a saved

Advanced Search tool for U.S. Rulings

Advanced Search tool for U.S. HTS

Viewing Search Results

The arrow buttons at the top of the Results tab

When more than 10 documents are returned

There are multiple ways to exit a

Alternately, if the document group is

The Results tab by

 Deactivate current users

Clicking on a user name opens into a new

Clicking on the “Add User” link opens the

Research Tools Tab

Denied Party Lookup Tool

HTS Mapper Tool

OGA Lookup Tool

OGA Code Information

HTS ADD/CVD Code Lookup

ADD/CVD Code Information

Search Sites Tools

Premier Subscription Tools

Global Tariffs International Mapping Tool (GTIM)

When viewing items in the Results

When this icon is selected next to

GistNet is an International Database that includes general country information for up to

In addition to General information, Business/trade and Transportation categories, GistNet also

 Notes on recent customs regulation changes

See the example of the Import (general) section below:

On a Country page, the user

Canada is selected as the origin

The Country Guides main screen also

Currencies of the World

Trade Terms In 8 Languages

Country Business Guides

Once search results have been

An email address can be typed

Dual Use Tab

Descartes Customs InfoTM Manager